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Agrichemical update – Samurai ® (clothianidin) registered for citrus

21 December 2018

The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) has approved Samurai ® (clothianidin) to control gall wasp, Fuller’s rose weevil, red scale and leaf miner on citrus. In other crops, the product is registered to control aphids, mealy bugs, fruit flies and moths. The product label is available at: https://sumitomo-chem.com.au/sites/default/files/sds-label/14385_samurai_booklet_for_web_v2.pdf Citrus Australia Market Access Manager, David Daniels, said the news comes after more than five years of collaboration between Citrus Australia and Sumitomo Chemicals. “The challenge is always convincing the chemical companies to invest in our industry and to demonstrate that there will be a return on their investment,” Mr Daniels said. Mr Daniels said it was is also important to acknowledge the efforts by the APVMA. “Regulatory approval of new molecules is a lengthy process and understandably, the APVMA requires a high level of confidence before approving products. “Relatively speaking, we gained access to this important molecule in good time. The APVMA contains dedicated staff and we thank them for their efforts.” While Samurai has been used to control gall wasp under a permit held by Citrus Australia for the last couple of years, the label claim now firms up uses against other pests and could help reduce costs when registering orchards for export. “Being a fairly new product, we encourage growers to gather as much information as possible on the product before application and please do not apply until two weeks after flowering has finished. “While we have had a lot of excellent reports, there have been reports of poor results due to the product being poorly applied.” Growers can find high-quality information via the Sumitomo website at:https://sumitomo-chem.com.au/samurai-systemic-insecticide Mr Daniels said Sumitomo’s technical advisors are happy to assist growers. For more information contact the Sumitomo Regional Manager, Frank Gallucio, via email Frank.Galluccio@sumitomo-chem.com.au or on 0418 502 466.